2nd – 5th May 2025
For years AHA did not go to the South of France because of the crowds and the lingering thought that a sybaritic lifestyle would get in the way of the pursuit for art, but now we have developed the perfect tour – one that embraces art and Sybaris. No area of the world has entire collections dedicated to so many giants of 20th century art, nor could they be more different – Matisse, Léger, Chagall, Renoir, Picasso. Amongst these giants, we have woven variety and charm such as the peerless Hanbury Gardens. This is a varied tour which is as intense as the colour of the South.
We will stay at the Chateau Cagnard, a 13th century house built into the ramparts of Haut-de-Cagnes. The restaurant has a lovely terrace and the location is all you could hope for on the Cote d’Azure.
Itinerary
Friday 2nd May
We will catch a morning flight to Nice, landing just in time for a quick lunch. We will then head into the city for the Matisse Museum, a wonderful taster of every stage of the artist’s career. Nearby is the Chagall Museum dedicated to the twelve large canvases of his Old Testament series. These vivid and arresting scenes are inspiring. We will then drive to our hotel in the lovely medieval village of Haut–de-Cagnes where we have dinner planned.
Saturday 3rd May
In the morning we will visit the Fondation Maeght in St Paul-de-Vence. Here, there is a charming story: after the unforeseen death of their beloved son, artists, sculptors and architects collaborated to create an ‘artists’ museum’ for collectors Marguerite and Aim Maeght, in order to restore some purpose to their lives. The result is a marvellous mix of the arts: a Giacometti courtyard, a watery Miró labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, mosaics by Chagall and a chapel with stained glass windows by Braque.
Lunch will be in the centre of nearby Vence. In the afternoon we will visit the remarkable Chappelle du Rosaire designed by Matisse. We will return to Cagnes-sur-Mer to visit the home of Renoir nestled in a beautiful estate planted with olives and citrus. From there the view of our own village is spectacular. Back to Haut-de-Cagnes for a jolly supper.
Sunday 4th May
In the morning we will wrestle with the monumental intellect of Fernand Léger at the National Museum dedicated to his work. We will need lunch after this in Antibes.
Later we will go to Picasso’s studio at the Château Grimaldi where there are lovely drawings from a happy phase in his life when he made lots of plates too. There will be time for a spot of shopping and a wander through the cobbled streets and markets before returning to Haut-de-Cagnes. For those who wish, we hope to be able to attend evening mass at the nearby Church of Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul. Supper will be at a good place near the hotel.
Monday 5th May
We will set off early in the morning for a trip across the border into Italy. Perched high on a peninsular jutting out into the Mediterranean is La Mortola, where a combination of exotic plants and dramatic setting makes for a breathtakingly beautiful and fascinating garden. Created by the Hanbury brothers in the 19th century it is now cared for by the University of Genoa.
Travelling back towards Nice, we will have a celebratory final lunch in a beautiful spot, before we visit the Hartung Bergman Foundation. Here we will explore the crisp, white modernist buildings that hold the work of painters Hans Hartung and Anna Bergman as well as Hartung’s studio. We will then make the short journey to Nice airport for our flight home.
Further Details
Tuition
The trip will be led by Tom Parsons and Tina Corri. Tom has worked for AHA for 30 years as well as teaching art history at St.Mary’s Ascot and is the author of a book on Post-Impressionism. Tina is an Arts and Learning Consultant for museums, galleries and arts organisations including the National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House and Art Explora.
Hotel
We will stay at the Chateau Cagnard, a 13th century house built into the ramparts of Haut-de-Cagnes. The restaurant has a lovely terrace and the location is all you could hope for on the Cote d’Azure. You can upgrade to a deluxe room with a balcony for £150 or a junior suite for £250 extra per room for all three nights. NB upgrades are limited so please let me know as soon as possible.
Ability
There is quite a lot of walking on this trip, as well as slopes and uneven cobbles. As many of the streets are small you will need to walk from the coach to the churches and museums. As is the case for all our courses, there is a lot of standing while we discuss the works we are looking at.
Lunches and Dinners
Lunches are a set menu of two courses to include drinks. Dinner is by no means compulsory, but we book a table for the group each night at different restaurants and divide the bill equally between everyone. Sometimes these may also need to be a set menu but we try our best to avoid this. We will adjust the bill for those not drinking alcohol.
Flights
We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates. However, we recommend buying the following flights with Air France and British Airways:
2nd May London Heathrow 08:55 – 12:00 Nice AF7551 (Air France)
5th May Nice 19.30 – 20.35 London Heathrow BA0355 (British Airways)
Transport
We will travel in comfort in a private coach with air-conditioning. There will be airport transfers to meet the recommended flights. The longest trip will be to La Mortola also known as the Hanbury Gardens; a journey of about 80 minutes.
Cost
The fees are £1890 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, tuition, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £140 (double room for single use). Not included are the flights, all suppers, travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 people and we will divide in to two smaller groups wherever possible.
To register
Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay a deposit of £600 via bank transfer. Your place is not confirmed until we have received the deposit.
If you have any queries please email charlie@arthistoryabroad or call 01379 871800 (302)
NB you must buy your own flights.
